Gay Icons....

By the time Tammy Faye Messner died Friday, the outspoken, fake-eyelash-donning 65-year-old had gone from Christian televangelist to reviled woman to gay icon. How did Messner become a gay icon?

With fabulousness and honesty. Tammy Faye's religious background made her an unlikely object for this kind of adulation, but in many ways she had the classic profile of a gay icon. Like many others, she became celebrated for her perseverance. She fell from grace (and lost much of her money) when it was discovered that her husband, Jim Bakker, had cheated on her and swindled their followers out of $158 million. But Tammy Faye talked openly about her pain on TV and stood by her man after his conviction, singing at a press conference, "On Christ the solid rock I stand/ All other ground is sinking sand." Her refusal to change her unique style—runny mascara, gawdy jewelry, and all—also made her icon-worthy. When asked by a makeup artist to lose those garish false lashes, she said, "Without my eyelashes, I wouldn't be Tammy Faye. I don't know who I would be." And gays appreciated the fact that she had long refused to denounce homosexuals on the Bakkers' TV show and that she had urged sympathy for those with AIDS. In her final interview last week, she said, "When we lost everything, it was the gay people that came to my rescue, and I will always love them for that."

Gay icons are often powerful women who are also marginalized and vulnerable. Billie Holiday, for instance, endured poverty and survived rape at the age of 14 before being discovered as a singer in a Harlem nightclub. She signed record deals, but she also served time in jail, battled drug-abuse problems, and died with little to her name. Princess Di, another icon, was loved for carrying on with grace—and style—despite her public battles with the royal family. Dolly Parton, with her super-sized hair and breasts, ascended in status because of her larger-than-life femininity. Same goes for Madonna, who built a career by wearing cone bras, orchestrating orgies in music videos, and otherwise embracing her sexuality without apology. Even Miss Piggy of the Muppets has won icon status because she refuses to see that pigginess is ugly; she believes she's beautiful and won't quit pursuing an unwilling frog. In a sense, gays—especially those who are closeted—look upon these women (and almost all of them are women) as role models.

I can never figure out what supereme committeeof gays supposedly met to determine these strange lists of supposed gay icons.

Even less can I understand why these lists are largely composed of women? who hardly ever had anything to do to or for gays except accept their money.

I can't think of any way I consider them to be representative of gays or an image to be worshipped by gays.

Their most obvious common characteristic is their various clothing styles are so extreme that they might be considered female drag queens.

Tammy Faye's clown makeup and loudly proclaimed religiousity helped her husband swindle $150,000,000 from investors and siphon off enough from church contributions to live an expensive life style. When he was accused of bisexual affairs, she denied the possibility. When he went to jail, she divorced him and married his accountant. Did the accountant have some of the money hidden? I feel sorry for anyone with cancer, but having a desease doesn't make you a Saint.

I not sure what gay icon it. But if you referring for individual that is admireable ,there plenty among our own gender.

Sport figure like Greg Louganis, Esera Tuolo, Ameachi,Bob Paris, celebrities Elton John , George Michael are all excellent role model. It must be very brave of them comming out telling the whole world about who they are and be proud of there sexuality.

One person come in mind, I really admire Australian cowboy Adam Sutton (google that ) . You know , you can be masculine , living a rough and tough life in Australian Outback but still is acceptable (shall I say proudly) to be gay.

Even among fellow Real Jock, they so many excellent gay icon (among us as least). How about 88 years ole OW, right..

I used to watch "The Tammy and Jim J. show" when it was on and she was just a lot of fun.Jim J. was really flaaaaaaamy and it was hysterical that this woman who used to minister was cracking wise with this queeny guy. But, it worked.I think these people become "gay icons" because they just step all over straight men and their stupid ideas of the way things should be.They express their opinion, they use their celebrity to get their point across to a very wide audience and they don't sit down and shut up when a straight man tells them too.

You should "Icon" anyone who inspires you to be the best person you can be.

Please don't tell me there are people who are STUPID enough to "look up" to a nasty, park trolling FREAK like George Michael or those little girls T.R. Knight and Doogie Howser or any celebrity who "Comes out" only after they are threatened and forced to come out.

Just look at Ricky Martin and that guy on "SuperNatural". SLUGS

These people are the BOTTOM of the slime bucket and make the rest of us, who stand up for ourselves no matter what, and say we are proud gay men and screw what you think, look bad.

I would rather look up to Tammy Faye than one of those nasty slugs anyday.